Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

I always think of pineapple as exotic. Whenever I see a recipe that calls for fresh pineapple, I think to myself, “OOooh.” Sometimes I forget the to myself part “OOooh” out loud and get strange looks at the bookstore. (Why is the cookbook section the quietest section in my store?)

My favorite dish ever to incorporate pineapple is pizza. I always order a slice with pineapple and fresh jalapeno when we have lunch at Locatelli’s, the perfect pairing of sweet & heat. Or grilled pineapple on this pizza. Or on this sandwich. [Swoon]

Or salsa. One of my favorite restaurants, Cafe Red Onion, serves a pineapple salsa with their chips. It’s sweet. The chips are salty. And it’s exactly as good as you’d expect.

I OOooh’ed at the site of the recipe for pork chops with pineapple and rice in Everyday Food last month. The salsa alone was really good, perfect to dress-up a plain ol’ grilled chicken breast. By the time I was ready to put dinner on the table, the salsa had cooled – perfect. I debated mixing the salsa with couscous instead of putting it on the chicken but the Foodie Groom voted “chicken.” On to the chicken it went!

Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Grilled chicken and juicy fresh pineapple make for a delicious 20 minute dinner.

Ingredients

For the couscous:

1 cup couscous

1 cup water or chicken broth

Pinch of salt

Small handful of cilantro, chopped

For the chicken:

4 chicken breasts (6oz each)

Olive oil

Pepper

Salt

For the salsa:

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/4 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

2 Tbsp red onion, finely diced

2 Tbsp soy sauce

Small handful of cilantro, roughly chopped plus more for garnish

Instructions

Heat grill to medium-high. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Spray or lightly brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Grill 3-4 minutes, each side.

In a small pot, bring chicken broth to boil. Stir in couscous and cilantro. Turn off heat and cover. Let sit 5 minutes and fluff with a fork before serving.

Heat olive oil over medium-high. Add pineapple, jalapeno, and red onion. Cook for 2 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. Turn off the heat, stir in the soy sauce.

Divide the couscous between 4 plates and serve the chicken topped with the pineapple salsa.